Patent
Apparatus for generating phosphenes
| العنوان: | Apparatus for generating phosphenes |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 4,979,508 |
| تاريخ النشر: | December 25, 1990 |
| Appl. No: | 07/048,082 |
| Application Filed: | April 11, 1987 |
| مستخلص: | The apparatus and method produce visual sensations by applying low voltages through conductive electrodes to the outside of a person's head, for transmission by natural mechanisms to the nervous system--to entertain or inform a sighted person, or to help a blind person to locate nearby objects. As to entertainment, the apparatus generates various waveshapes, and an operator directs one or more to the electrodes. The operator also manually varies waveshape parameters such as frequency, amplitude, duty cycle and dc bias--or controls them with automatic sweep devices at selected sweep rates. Various wavetrains are combined at the electrodes or in the person's head for more-elaborate effects. The electrode wavetrains or necessary control signals are also received for playback. As to information, the apparatus produces coded patterns or even rough analogs of normal visual scenes. As to aiding the blind, the apparatus responds to a sonar signal by placing phosphenes in the perceived visual field roughly where a normal person would see nearby objects. |
| Inventors: | Beck, Stephen C. (Berkeley, CA) |
| Claim: | I claim |
| Claim: | 1. A programmable phosphene generator, requiring no intracranial implant, for producing visual sensations in a person; said generator comprising |
| Claim: | means for generating a voltage wavetrain that is variable and for responding to control signals to vary the voltage wavetrain; |
| Claim: | means, responsive to external inputs, for generating substantially continuously varying control signals, to control the voltage-generating means to substantially continuously vary the wavetrain; |
| Claim: | means for applying the control signals from the control-signal generating means to the wavetrain-generating means; |
| Claim: | means for storing and later playing back the control signals; and |
| Claim: | means for applying the wavetrain to the outside of such a person's head. |
| Claim: | 2. A programmable phosphene generator, requiring no intracranial implant, for producing visual sensations in a person; said generator comprising |
| Claim: | external inputs that comprise manually operated handles or the like; |
| Claim: | means, responsive to the external inputs, for generating substantially continuously varying control signals, to control the voltage-generating means to substantially continuously vary the wavetrain; |
| Claim: | 3. A programmable phosphene generator, requiring no intracranial implant, for producing visual sensations in a person; said generator comprising |
| Claim: | at least one eternal input that comprises a source of electrical signals derived from music; |
| Current U.S. Class: | 128/419R; 600/26 |
| Current International Class: | A61N 100 |
| Patent References Cited: | 2703344 March 1955 Anderson 3699970 October 1972 Brindley et al. 4254776 March 1981 Tonie et al. |
| Primary Examiner: | Kamm, William E. |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Ashen Martin Seldon Lippman & Scillieri |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.04979508 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |